


Bruises

by I_Will_Die_With_This_Ship



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bruises, M/M, Neil Hargrove Being an Asshole, Self-Harm, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:34:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22913293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Will_Die_With_This_Ship/pseuds/I_Will_Die_With_This_Ship
Summary: On their fifth birthday, a person would get something on them to indicate who their soulmate was. Be it a symbol, a name, an initial, or in Steve's case, a bruise.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 1
Kudos: 176





	Bruises

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if this is shit.
> 
> Also I guess sort of a trigger warning for self harm/attempted suicide.

On their fifth birthday, a person would get something on them to indicate who their soulmate was. Be it a symbol, a name, an initial, or in Steve's case, a bruise.

He feels his soulmates pain.

The injuries seemed normal enough, a few scrapes or dings here and there. Until he was about 9 or 10.

Steve had just reached the bottom of the stairs when his head was flung sideways and he could feel a bruise forming, as though someone had just back handed him.

The bruises and injuries after that seemed to be a frequent occurrence, sometimes he would be lying in bed and get so winded as though someone just kicked him in the gut. Or he would wake up, and there would be finger shaped bruises around his wrist or dug into the side of his jaw.  
However the pain of all these injuries were dulled because they weren't actually his.

And then one day when he was sixteen he was sat at his desk reading a book when he felt a burning sensation on his wrist, the boy looked down and could see the blood dripping from slices across his arm.  
That night he cried himself to sleep; and the next and the next, he ached to reach out and just hold them, and love them, and show them that someone's touch doesn't have to hurt. It can be soft and gentle, and kind.

~•~•~•~•~

When Billy turned five he didn't get a mark, or not in the traditional sense.  
For the first week after his birthday, he thought he had some abnormality, he thought he didn't have a soulmate.  
And then one day he woke up with a scraped knee and knew he hadn't done it himself.

Soon after he turned 9, his mother passed away and his father got angrier and angrier, until one day he just snapped. It had been the usual; yelling, screaming and insults. And then he was slammed into the wall and back handed so hard the side of his head hit the wall behind him.

Even though he knew he could feel his soulmates pain, he didn't register it after then, each new bruise or injury bleeding into the previous ones until every part of him ached and throbbed everyday. He also distantly knew that his soulmate could feel his pain. And that made him hurt inside to match his outside.  
So one day he just, well, he snapped too. But not in anger, rather in desperation; for it to end, to stop being hurt over nothing, to stop his father from torturing his soulmate through him. So he slit his wrists...

It didn't help.

~•~•~

As soon as he got released from the hospital, where his dad put him after he found him with some guy, they were packed and moving to the middle of bumfuck Indiana.

~•~•~

When Billy started school the only thing he was looking forward to was basketball. He played hard, despite the pain and when he "accidentally" knocked over the spoiled rich kid dubbed ' _King Steve_ '. Well that was just a bonus.

However when he reached out his hand to "help him up" and saw the scars on his wrist. Well, he felt like the shitiest person ever. But, Reputation. So he pulled him halfway, growled out  
"Plant your feet"  
And pushed him back down.

~•~•~

When he got to school the next day with a fresh set of bruises, he was itching for a fight. To release the anger he couldn't let out on his father. So when it came to basketball he played harder than the day before, pushing and shoving at whatever was in his way.

After practice he waited untill most people had cleared out before heading to the showers. It seemed like Harrington had the same idea. As he stood under the showerhead, he discreetly scanned his eyes over the boy next to him.

"Take a picture it'll last longer."

Obviously not as discretely as he thought.

"Just wondering where you got those nasty bruises pretty boy?" He sneered

"My soulmate."

"Your soulmate hits you?" Almost disbelief in his voice

"No, I feel their pain you dumbass."

They had progressed to their lockers and were currently changing.

"...Me too"

"What?"  
Now Steve looked disbelieving.

"Are you okay man, you're shaking." Steve said after a moment

"I- ... Can I see your wrist."

"What-?"

He turned around getting increasingly anxious and grabbed the older boys wrist, and sliding his own next to it.

The scars matched exactly.

And so he did the only logical thing he could... He grabbed his stuff and ran.

And Steve let him, let him run.

~•~•~

He avoided his soulmate like the plague, but there was only so much he could do when they had 2 classes together and basketball practice as an added torture.

He was only avoiding him because he has been the cause of his soulmate's suffering for the past 8 and half years. At least that's what he told himself, deep down he was scared.

"We need to talk." Steve said behind him.  
"Please Billy."

"Not here"

"My house, 4 o'clock."

And he just walked away, he was obviously going to go.

~•~•~

He arrived at Steve's place 15 minutes after 4 and as he was walking up to the front door, he felt his lungs start to burn. He ran round to the back of the house to find Steve submerged, fully clothed, in his pool. And he was forcibly keeping himself under. Because he probably thought Billy wouldn't show because he's been acting like his soulmate disgusts him. So Billy dove straight in and pulled him up and out of the water, where - thankfully - the older boy started to expel the water from his lungs.  
When he was done Billy pulled him into a tight hug, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Ever. I- I'm sorry, but please dont do this to yourself." He whispered frantically, and hugged the boy impossibly tighter.

"S-sure your not just saying that hargrove, we all know how much you h-hate me." He said hate, like it physically pained him, and hell, maybe it did.

"Stop."

"I was just trying to make it easier for the both of us, you dont have to have a- a fuckin guy you hate, as your soulmate. And I can just-"

"I said _Stop_! I dont fucking hate you okay!? I never have."

"You dont have to lie to make me feel better, I get it; I do. We're both guys and you so very clearly hate me, so let me just stop breathing for long enough that I dont have to start again!"

A heavy silence surrounded them after Steve's outburst.

"I was scared."

"What?"

"I was scared. I _am_ scared. Because I have been hurting you for the past 8 and a half years and I didn't want you to hate me for it. But _I_ hate me so I can't really blame you for hating me aswell."

"I don't. I don't hate you"

Billy reached his hands up to cradle Steve's head. And he slowly leaned in, to give Steve a chance to move away.

And they were kissing; and for once, everything felt right with the world.

**Author's Note:**

> This was purely meant to be just fluff but that didn't happen like at all.


End file.
